Prevalence of Oncogenic HPV Infections in Canadian Women
Author Information
Author(s): Tricco Andrea C, Ng Carmen H, Gilca Vladimir, Anonychuk Andrea, Pham Ba', Berliner Shirra
Primary Institution: Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St Michael's Hospital
Hypothesis
What is the prevalence of oncogenic cervical HPV infection among Canadian females prior to immunization?
Conclusion
The study found that the highest prevalence of HPV infections occurred among females under 20 years of age, with significant implications for vaccination strategies.
Supporting Evidence
- HPV types 16 and 18 contributed a combined cervical cancer prevalence of 65.9%.
- Age-specific prevalence was highest among females aged < 20 years.
- Many studies did not use a representative sampling strategy.
Takeaway
This study looked at how many girls in Canada have a virus that can cause cervical cancer, especially before they get vaccinated.
Methodology
The study systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed data from 30 studies reporting DNA-confirmed oncogenic HPV prevalence among Canadian females.
Potential Biases
74% of studies did not address non-response bias and 53% did not use a representative sampling strategy.
Limitations
Many studies included had poor methodological quality, did not address non-response bias, and used non-representative sampling strategies.
Participant Demographics
The study focused on Canadian females, with age-specific prevalence highest among those under 20 years.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 6.5-10.7% for HPV-16 prevalence.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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